The Heart Unknown Part I: Far Apart, Always Together
by Red Cr0w
Summary: Kanashimi Mujōna is new to squad six and struggles to fit in with the others. Byakuya Kuchiki is forced by the Clan Council to marry, or step down as clanhead. Will these two face each other and learn to love, or will one be overshadowed by the other forever? Slow burn romance. ByakuyaxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey folks! I'm alive! Here we go with another story! Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter one

Kanashimi Mujona leaned against the wall and wiped her brow. She had been sweeping for over an hour, and had yet to stop for a break. Since she was accepted into the sixth division, she worked harder than she had before to impress her new captain. She had yet to have a formal conversation with the untouchable shinigami. Getting up from the wall, Kanashimi resumed her task. She kept her eyes to the ground as she swept the small bit of dirt and hair to the side. From the end of the hall, she could hear voices of a few seated officers. Kanashimi was unseated, so she kept her green eyes to the floor.

Someone ran into her, knocking the broom from her hands and sending it clattering to the floor. "Oh, shit. Sorry." The man bent down and picked it up, holding it out for her. Kanashimi looked up at him and grabbed it from his large, tan hands. Red hair, caramel skin, and black tattoos...it was Lieutenant Renji Abarai. Upon realizing who it was, Kanashimi bowed low. "Lieutenant Abarai, sir!"

Renji chuckled nervously. "Hey kid. There's no need for that. At ease, at ease." He held out his hand for her to shake. "Your name?"

Kanashimi rose and accepted the proffered hand, shaking firmly. "Kanashimi Mujona, sir." She saw him deflate at the sound of her name.

 **(A/N: Mujona: heartless, Kanashimi: depression/sorrow. Her name is a bit of a downer)**

Renji rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Kanashimi, that's quite the name."

Kanashimi smiled. "Yeah. It's a little sad, but there's a funny story behind it!" She said chuckling. The redheaded man laughed with her.

"Maybe you can tell me about it sometime?" He asked. She looked up at him in awe and stuttered out a quick okay. Renji went on his way and Kanashimi stood there replaying the past few minutes in her head as she continued her work.

Once the day was over, she put away her supplies and made her way to the door, only to trip over her own feet and land face first on the polished floor. "Woah there!" A woman called out. She ran over and helped the fallen girl to her feet and dusted her off. "What's with you newbies and falling all over the place?" Kanashimi looked up to see (yet another) lieutenant. Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto of the tenth division.

Kanashimi laughed nervously. "Must have tripped over my foot."

Rangiku smiled and looped their arms together, leading her to the door. "Tell me, are you old enough to drink?" Kanashimi looked at her curiously.

"Um, yeah. Why?" She asked. Rangiku began sliding her feet into her sandals and sat down to tie them, motioning for Kanashimi to do the same. *A couple friends and I are gonna hit a few bars tonight, and I've been longing for a fresh face. Wanna join? You'll get to meet other seated officers. Maybe even a captain or two." She said excitedly. Kanashimi thought over it for a second. "Sure. A few drinks wouldn't hurt me any."

Rangiku hollered. "Yay! Renji should be here any second. Unless the Ice Man keeps him late again."

Kanashimi gave her a confused look. "Who?" She asked. The buxom woman leaned back on her hands. "Captain Kuchiki. He's a bit of a hard ass, but that doesn't change the fact he's powerful. You probably haven't met him yet, have you?"

Kanashimi looked down at her hands. "I have, but only a few times, and not for very long. His clan and mine are allies." Rangiku smiled wide and leaned in closer. "Really? You're a noble?" She brushed away a stray hair and stood. "You don't seem like one. Most nobles I know are either cold as ice or-"

"Sorry I'm late! Captain Kuchiki needed me to finish a bit of paperwork." Renji jogged over to the door and shoved his feet into his sandals and quickly tied them. "Hey Kanashimi. Are you joining us?" He asked, offering a hand to help her to her feet. The petite woman nodded. "Yeah, lieutenant Matsumoto invited me. May as well take this chance and meet some new people."

As they made their way to the nearest pub to meet the others, Rangiku filled Renji in on her newfound knowledge of Kanashimi's family status. "A noble, huh? You don't seem like one." He mused. At the bar, they met with several other squad members. The three sat with some others and ordered a few drinks. 'I should probably send a hell butterfly to my dad, just in case.' Kanashimi thought as she nursed her small cup of sake.

"Let's get this party started, bitches!" A bald man with red around the corners of his eyes shouted, raising his jug. Several others cheered with him and continued with their conversations. Kanashimi kept to herself, staring at her reflection in her cup. Renji must have sensed her discomfort, and directed his attention to her. "So, how does your family work with my captain?" He asked. Kanashimi took a quick sip of her drink before turning to face him.

"Well, my family deals with many things. Certain clans have certain specialties. The Kuchiki clan, for example deals with laws and clan history. The Fon clan tends to stay within the 'ninja' category, and so on." Setting her cup down, she continued. "My clan is sort of a jack of all trades. We dabble in art, history, science, medicine, and even stealth combat. One of my brothers is in the second division, actually."

Renji stared at her with interest. "Well, how do you help with my captain's family?" He sipped from his jug and topped off Kanashimi's cup. "The Mujōna family provides protection, art, and healers. But we don't stay with only one clan. We are affiliated with quite a few." By then, a few others listened in and leaned in closer to hear better. Kanashimi was about to continue when a large hand clapped down on her shoulder. Turning, she smiled up at who it was. It was her eldest brother, Kakashi.

"Mom and dad were wondering seeing where you where." He squeezed in between Kanashimi and Renji and sipped from Kanashimi's cup. "So, what'd I miss?" Kanashimi stole her cup back and finished what was in it.

"I was just explaining to Lieutenant Abarai the purpose of our family. He was curious, is all." She explained. Kakashi hummed and looked over to her lieutenant.

Renji stared up at the man in shock. This... behemoth of a man...was her brother?

-Page Break-

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki was annoyed. After he finished up the last bit of paperwork, he was instructed to attend a council meeting, only to be threatened. 'We are sick of waiting, Lord Kuchiki. You must marry within six months, or you must step down as clanhead and allow another to take your place. We need and heir!'

He could see where they were coming from. An heir was necessary for the clan to move on. In his hand were a packet of profiles for potential brides. As much as Byakuya wished to avoid marriage, he was at a loss. Byakuya took a seat at his desk in his study and opened the folder. 'Half of these girls are barely old enough to court, let alone marry.' As he flipped through the pages, he came across a somewhat familiar face. Olive skin, swampy green eyes, and black hair done up off her neck. He recognized her from the list of new recruits.

'Kanashimi Mujōna, one of my new recruits. I have worked with her family on many occasions. Perhaps they would allow a meeting.' he thought. Quickly, he sent a hell butterfly to the Mujōna Estate requesting to meet with them and their daughter. To his surprise, an answer came quickly.

""Of course you can meet with us, Kuchiki-sama! We would be honored. You may meet us in our home in two hours.""

-page break-

Kanashimi walked alongside her brother through the streets as they made their way home. She was about to break the silence when a hell butterfly fluttered over to them and landed on Kakashi's extended hand. He listened for a moment, then said, "Mom says we have to come home now. We have an important visitor."

"Did she say who it was?" Kanashimi asked.

"Does it matter?" He looked up to the sky, admiring the colors brought on by the setting sun. "They probably want something. Let's hurry."

Kanashimi nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

 **My oc in this fic is ( as you can tell) Kanashimi Mujōna. She's about 5'2", 115 lbs. She's got an athletic figure and swamp greens eyes. Her hair is black and very long, but she keeps it up off her neck in a bun. Hope you like her!**

 **RxR please!**


	2. Chapter 2 The Proposal

**Im baaaaaaaaaack~! And I have a challenge for you! The first person to draw the most accurate representation of Kanashimi gets their own Bleach oneshot written by yours truly! Upload your work to DeviantArt or Facebook and PM me the link. I will judge each drawing myself, and I'll use the winning drawing as the cover for this fic!**

 **Good luck folks, and please enjoy!**

Chapter Two

The air in the tea room was tense and silent. Kanashimi started down into her cup, trying to make sense of everything. When she and Kakashi had arrived home, they weren't expecting her captain to be there. Once they all say down and tea was delivered, Byakuya got right to the point.

"I wish to court your daughter," he said. His voice was deep and tight. Something told Kanashimi that he didn't want to be there, but was forced to. 'It doesn't surprise me, there were rumors that the Kuchiki Council was pressuring him to marry.' Kanashimi's grip on her cup tightened. 'But why me?'

Hitomi Mujōna, Kanashimi's mother, lowered her head respectfully. "We are grateful for this request, Kuchiki-sama. You have my blessing." She looked over to her husband to see him smiling widely.

"You have mine as well! Shimi-chan would make a fine wife!" Juu exclaimed. He clapped a hand on his daughter's shoulder a few times before calming down. Looking down at her, his smile faded into a look of pity. Their only daughter was being thrust headfirst into unfamiliar territory, and she had very little say in it.

Even as they made their goodbyes, Kanashimi kept her gaze down. Marrying a Kuchiki was an honor, sure, but her captain? How would her other brothers react? What about her squad? Surely some would be upset once word got out she was marrying one of the most handsome captains.

Kanashimi retreated to the study to be alone with her thoughts. "I can't believe this is happening…" she said to herself. She swept her bangs out of her face and stared down at her hands. They were soft, and glistening with sweat from clenching her fists for so long. Would Captain Kuchiki's hands be soft? Or would they be calloused from years of sword wielding? Would he be kind? Or would he be cold and distant as he was with everyone else?

Kanashimi sighed as her thoughts ran through her head at lightning speed. She sank down and leaned against the desk, resting her head in her hand. 'Maybe it won't be so bad?'

-Page Break-

Byakuya sat alone in his study and went over the past hours events. Kanashimi certainly didn't copy her parents' excitement, but how could he blame her? 'She is only a child. And forced to marry a man many decades her senior.' He sighed softly and went about continuing his work. Byakuya stared down at her profile. It seemed she wasn't the only Mujōna in his division. Her brother, Naoki, was his fifth seat.

"Brother," called Rukia's voice from the other side of the sliding door. "I'm leaving for the World of the Living. I'll be back in a few days."

"Yes, I remember. I shall see you upon your return." Byakuya said back. Once he was sure she had left, he got to his feet and made his way to where Hisana was buried. It was chilly, and the soft wind carried over the scent of pine from the forest nearby. Byakuya knelt before her grave and lit an incense stick. Reciting a quiet prayer, he fanned the small flame and let the stick burn softly. "Hisana," he began. He pulled his kosode closer around his body. "I am sorry. The council is forcing me to take another wife. Although you have been gone for some time, I find it hard to move on."

Byakuya stared at her name engraved in the elaborate stone for what felt like hours. He knew he wasn't getting any answers. Hisana was long gone, and he had to move on. As he rose to his feet, Byakuya dusted off his yukata. Byakuya stared out into nothingness and recalled Kanashimi's face. She was nowhere near the beauty her mother was, but she had a certain quality that was pleasing to the eye. Her eyes were a dull swampy green, and her skin was an odd olive shade. Her best feature had to be her hair. It looked like pure black ink grew from her head. It was keep up in a tight bun, but he heard from her father that it reached her lower back. 'That was some time ago, perhaps it has grown.'

One thing he couldn't keep his mind off of was that scar. It travelled over her left cheekbone, over the bridge of her nose, and on to the right cheekbone. It was deep, creating a distinctive ridge just below her eyes and through her nose, causing it to hook forward slightly. While she wasn't necessarily ugly, she was no porcelain doll.

Byakuya retreated to his bedroom and pulled off his kosode. His futon had already been rolled out for him in the center of the large room. "Kanashimi...such a sad name." He mumbled to himself as he lay down in his warm bed.

-Page Break-

Kanashimi left the study to find that a warm bath had been drawn for her. She stared gratefully at the steam that rose from the water's surface. A few lillies floated along with other fragranced petals. 'Maybe a warm bath will help me calm my nerves.' she thought as she began to undress. Kanashimi dropped her shihakusho in a basket by the door and pulled the stick securing her clip, letting her fall fall to her knees. Absent mindedly, she stroked the silken strands.

She lightly traced the scar on her face, lingering at the divot in the bridge of her nose. 'How could he ever love me? Wouldn't he be ashamed of having a disfigured child for a wife?' Her eyes slid shut as she sank down onto a small wooden stool and began to ladle warm water over her head.

'Will I ever learn to love him?'


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, guys. I want to start off by apologizing for not updating in so long. Things have been hard for the Cr0w family, so my focus hasn't been on updating. At this time, many (almost all) of my stories are under construction. Meaning, they will be much better.**

 **I also want to thank you guys for sticking by me. I am so grateful for all of you who ahbe read, commented on, and faved/followed my stories. Y'all are very much loved and appreciated!**

 **Here is a list of some of the stories currently undergoing refurbishing…**

 ***Save Me**

 ***Shutter Box**

 ***The (Mis)Adventured of UkeByakuua**

 **On top of that, I will be adding new stories to the bunch for publishing. I have many plans rolling around in my head, and I hope y'all like them!**

 **Much love,**

 **Red Cr0w**

 **Thank you** BeTheLeaf916 **,** Tifanny91 **,** ShadowChronicler666 **, and** Cookie-Eat **for reviewing, favoriting and following! This is for you!**

Chapter three

"What!?" Masao Mujōna shouted. "You've got to be kidding me! She's just a kid!" He pointed dramatically at his little sister with his chopsticks while he yelled at their father. Juu sighed heavily. " Masao, Kuchiki-sama is the head of one of the greatest clans. I couldn't just say no to him! After all he's done for us!" Masao grunted and moved his attention to his food. His other sons weren't so happy about the proposal either, but kept to themselves.

Kanashimi looked up from her bowl. "Am...am I getting any say in this?" She asked nervously. Naoki chuckled and patted her head. "Oh, Shimi-chan, you already know the answer to that question!" Kanashimi deflated a bit and looked back down, shovelling rice into her mouth to hide her irritation.

'I wonder if I'll be able to stay in the Gotei 13 after we're married…' Kanashimi thought idly as she walked up to the tenth division captain's office. She knocked, only to be met with silence. "Umm, hello?" She called softly. 'Maybe they're patrolling?' Kanashimi knocked again, only harder than before. Again, silence. She huffed. "I really hope I don't get yelled at for just coming in." She mumbled to herself. Kanashimi opened the wooden door and gasped at what she saw.

Rangiku Matsumoto was lying on the couch, asleep. Kanashimi would have assumed the tenth division lieutenant was dead if it weren't for the subtle rise and fall of her chest. Kanashimi carefully approached the sleeping woman and shook her shoulder gently. "Lieutenant Matsumoto, you need to wake up."

Rangiku shot up as if she had been smacked. "I wasn't sleeping Captain I promise!" She shouted nervously. She looked around to see Kanashimi, not her captain, standing beside her. "Oh, hey Kana-chan! You scared me for a second there! How's it going? Did you need something?" Kanashimi shook her head.

"No...I just came here. Does Captain Hitsugaya know you take naps during work?" She asked. Rangiku smirked.

"Yeah, he does. And he always wakes me up and makes me do paperwork. But no matter. Want me to walk you to your division?" The blonde woman heaved herself from the couch and began to leave the room. Kanashimi hummed her affirmation and followed her out.

As they left the tenth division, Rangiku looks down at Kanashimi's face. Her brows were knotted together and she seemed to be in deep thought. Rangiku nudged her with her hip. "What's eating you?" She asked. Kanashimi was startled from her thoughts when the taller woman nudged her. "Hm? Oh! Well, it's kind of complicated, you know?" She waved her hand in front of her face dismissively. "It's a long story." Kanashimi sighed. Rangiku almost scowled at her.

"Well, we have to walk through four divisions. So I think we've got time." She smiled down at the smaller girl. Kanashimi sighed heavily. _'Well, I guess I could use a woman's perspective on all this…'_

"Okay, but you have to promise you'll keep it to yourself. I do even know how it will turn out." Kanashimi looked up at her with serious eyes. Rangiku nodded.

"Promise. Now tell. Is it juicy?" She asked suggestively.

Kanashimi chuckled slightly. "I guess you could say it is. You know that Captain Kuchiki hasn't been married in a long time, right?" Rangiku nodded once again. "Well, the Kuchiki clan elders are pushing him to marry, and he came to my parents last night to ask for permission...to court me."

There was a thick silence between them for a moment while Rangiku processes what Kanashimi just told her. "Wait a minute...you're going to marry Byakuya Kuchiki? _The_ Byakuya Kuchiki? Oh honey, what do you think of all this?" Kanashimi ran her fingers through her bangs nervously.

"I don't really know. We're supposed to court for a couple weeks to get to know each other, then we're supposed to get married if all goes well. But, he's my captain! I don't even know if I'll be able to stay in the Sixth if we marry. And I don't even have a choice in the matter! My parents just agreed without asking me how I felt!" She wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her sleeping zanpakuto. "It's my life, and they're just...just…" she couldn't think of the words.

"Handing you off to an older man?" Rangiku offered. Kanashimi loosened her grip on her sword and nodded, taking a deep breath and releasing it. "He's so much older than me, and he was married a long time ago." Kanashimi stopped in her tracks and stared down at her feet. "My father told me that she was beautiful, and very kind." Her voice died down to a whisper. "It's already been arranged now, so there's nothing I can do."

Rangiku put her hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you have a couple of weeks to get close to him, right? Use that time to get comfortable with him. It'll all turn out to be amazing. Trust me. Captain Kuchiki isn't a bad man. Not bad looking either!" She grinned down at Kanashimi and chuckled. "Just think of it this way, you're going to marry the Most Wanted Man in the Seireitei!"

Kanashimi laughed a little. "That's true I guess." She looked up at the sixth division gates. Perhaps everything was going to be okay.

"Hey, did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Captain Kuchiki is leading the basic training today!"

"No way! He's brutal!"

The two soul reapers leaned against a wall as they were chatting. It was true, Byakuya Kuchiki was the most unfavorable of trainers, as he had such a tedious training regimen. He was well known for his cold, calculated moves and his harshness during training. Kanashimi sat on the steps on one of the main buildings with her lunch alone. She stared down into her cup of peach tea and sighed. ' _Hopefully I can keep up. I don't need him thinking I'm incompetent in swordsmanship. And that's his favorite lesson to teach.'_

She sipped her tea and opened her bento. Picking up one of the rice balls from the box, Kanashimi noticed a loud crash not too far from her. A cloud of dust appeared, and she stared in awe before dropping her lunch to go investigate. One hand rested firmly on the hilt of her zanpakuto and the other was wrapped around it's scabbard. She ran over to the commotion and began to draw her sword, before staring in shock at the battle before her. Lieutenant Abarai was sparring with another man with bright orange hair and an enormous zanpakuto.

"Lieutenant Abarai!" She shouted over the clanging of swords. Both men stopped short and turned their heads toward her. Upon realized who called him, Renji moved back and sheathed Zabimaru. "Hey, Kanashimi! How's it going!" He grinned at the smaller girl. "Have you met Ichigo?" Kanashimi shook her head and turned her gaze to the orange haired man. She immediately bowed.

"It's nice to meet you, Ichigo-san."

Ichigo chuckled. "There's no need for that, Kanashimi. You can just call me Ichigo."

Once the dust finally settled, Kanashimi darted over to the steps she had been at. "My lunch! I dropped it!" Renji looked over to Ichigo, and they both shrugged before following her. In her hurry to confront the 'enemy,' Kanashimi dropped her food on the ground, and her tea had spilled on the steps. "No! I dropped it!" She scraped the spilled rice balls from the dirt into her box and stared down at it, defeated.

"C'mon, Kana, I'll buy you lunch." Renji patted her shoulder and lead her to a trash can to toss the old food. They stopped at a stall not too far away for some dango and hot tea.

"Hey, Kanashimi, how'd you get that scar?" Renji pointed at the scar across her face. Kanashimi crossed her eyes and looked down at the ridge in her nose. She laughed. "It's a funny story, really." She set down her cup and lifted her bangs to reveal the rest of it.

"When I was in the soul reaper academy, my class and I went on a training mission to the World of the Living. It was a simple hollow exercise. I just got a little too close and it slashed my face with it's tail. The damage was pretty bad, and it didn't heal properly, so I have a hard time breathing through my nose. The blow kinda caved my nose in just a bit." She pointed at her nose and smiled. The others seemed to shudder. "How do you breathe?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Through my mouth!"

They just stared at her as she smiled. Renji never really noticed that she breathed through her mouth like that. "It must have been hard, training yourself to only breathe through your mouth." He said. Kanashimi brushed it off. "I can breathe through my nose, just not without help. My only other choice was to wear a bunch of tubes connected to an oxygen tank."

Ichigo lifted his arms and cradled the back of his head in both palms. "Can't you get it fixed? I mean, the healers here should be able to set it properly, right?"

Kanashimi shook her head. "It didn't heal right, so I'm stuck like this. But it's not too bad. I've gotten used to it. I have to use tubes to breathe when I sleep though, but that's okay."

Renji and Ichigo shared a concerned look before looking back at her. "Good luck, Kana. My captain is switching things up for training today. So you might wanna grab that tank." He downed the rest of his tea and stood from the bench, stretching his arms above his head. Ichigo took their cups back over to the stall before they made their way back to the main square. "He's switching it up? How so?"

Renji grinned evilly. "What fun would it be if I just told you?" he laughed at the girl's look of defeat. "You'll be fine. Just say when you need a break. He'll understand if you just tell him about your nose."

Kanashimi chuckled. In her head, she was freaking out. He preferred swordsmanship lessons over anything else, so what was he planning?

 **Whew! It has been a hot minute! Hope y'all enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Howdy fellas! Thank you so much for being so patient with me. Here is another chapter where we get to see both Kanashimi's strong and weak points as a shinigami. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Four: Hand To Hand

Ever since Renji's comment at lunch, Kanashimi felt a heavy sense of dread settle in her stomach. If Captain Kuchiki was to choose swordsmanship, she was shit out of luck. _'Please, let it be something else. Kido, minor healing...anything!'_ she lamented in her head. She called over a hell butterfly, speaking to it and requesting her oxygen tank from her brother at home. Just as the announcement came on for her group to gather in the courtyard, Kanashimi sent the little bug off. She looked around at everyone and noticed that she was not alone when it came to having anxiety for the upcoming events. Several others murmured softly to each other, wishing each other luck.

All sounds stopped when Captain Kuchiki came to the front. He faced them and lowered his head slightly, beckoning his lieutenant to come forward. "Renji. Please explain the training regimen for today."

The redheaded man cleared his throat and a message from a clipboard in his hand. "All of you in this group will be training in hand to hand combat today. Your training partners will be chosen by us so as not to allow mercy." Renji looked up from the paper and glanced over to Kanashimi with a look of pity. "Kanashimi Mujona, you will be training with Korotai Honda. Please begin."

Kanashimi glanced at her opponent and whispered a prayer. _'One wrong move and this guy could rip my head off!'_ Her opponent was fairly large, almost like he was supposed to be in the 11th division but was put in the 6th by mistake. Behind her, she could hear Renji whispering roughly to his captain.

"What the hell, captain? He could crush her!"

Byakuya gave a slight chuckle. "Renji, Mujōna-san will be quite alright. She has been trained since she was young to fight much larger opponents in close quarters."

Renji stared at him incredulously. "By who? Captain Zaraki himself?" His captain flicked a stray hair out of his face.

"No. Her brothers. Mujōna-san is the youngest, and only girl, out of ten children. In fact, I believe one of her brothers is in our division. I trust they taught her well." Byakuya nodded to Renji, signalling for the match to start. The redhead drew in a deep breath.

"Alright, the match starts...now!"

Something about the small girl must have changed. Her body moved into an almost crouching position, with her gaze focused on the man before her. The man lunged at her with his fists clenched, aiming for her shoulder. Kanashimi easily dodged the blow, then drove the heel of her palm into his knee, almost dislocating his kneecap. The man grunted in pain. He grabbed her upper arm, swinging her to the side, then pulling her in quickly and landing a hard kick on her hip as he let her go. He sent her flying a few feet and she slowed her movements by digging her fingers into the dirt.

Kanashimi ran toward him, one fist drawn back, but he dodged the punch easily before she rammed her knee into his gut. The man doubled over in pain and she jabbed her elbow into his spine, then her knee, before letting him fall to the ground. Her hip ached horribly, and her shoulder throbbed from his pull, but she stood victorious.

Renji stood there motionless and his jaw dropped. _'She knocked him on his ass! Holy shit!'_

Kanashimi bowed before her captain and lieutenant. Breathing heavily, she straightened her back and squinted. Her breaths were becoming more and more labored. She knew she was breathing, but it was as if no air was entering her lungs. Her face grew hot and the edges of her vision started to blur.

"Kana! Are you okay?" Renji darted over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Captain, she can't breathe!"

Byakuya moved from his spot, lifting Kanashimi into his arms and walking her to his office. "Training resumes now. Renji, you decide on opponents. I will take care of Kanashimi." He looked back on everyone, catching the eye of Naoki. In his arms, Kanashimi's brother cradled a green, cylindrical tank. Byakuya turned and entered his office, slamming the door shut behind him. Laying the smaller woman down on the couch, he began to unknot the green obi at her waist. ' _I can't believe I'm doing this. She may be my wife soon, but I am almost certain her brothers would disembowel me if they saw this.'_ He splayed open the top of her uniform just enough to allow her to breathe slightly.

Pushing up his sleeves to his elbows, Byakuya swiftly removed the tekken gloves and stabilized her head. "Please hold still." He mumbled. With his other hand, he swept her bangs from her face, momentarily surprised at how soft it was. Byakuya leaned down and connected his mouth to hers, blowing steadily. When she remained still, the older man brought his fingers to her lips, sliding them into her mouth and holding her tongue down. His slender fingers travelled deeper until he reached the back of her throat. Continuing to press down, he tilted her head forward. Kanashimi began gagging on his fingers, but still was not breathing properly. At that moment, Naoki entered the room with the tank and knelt beside his captain. "What are you doing? Won't that choke her?" He asked. Byakuya shook his head.

"Not that the moment. I need to push air into her lungs without getting it in her stomach." Keeping his fingers in her mouth, Byakuya leaned in and blew. Finally, Kanashimi began to cough and gag even more. Her eyes shot open and she began pushing on her captain's chest. Byakuya pulled away and allowed Naoki to take over.

"Shimi-chan! Are you okay?" Naoki brought the thin clear tube connected to the tank to her face and put it in its place to allow her to breathe. "Take slow breaths. You could have had a really bad day if Captain Kuchiki hadn't stepped in." He chuckled and smiled softly at his sister. Kanashimi stared at him incredulously. Her throat burned as she whispered to her brother.

"What happened? Who opened my shihakusho?!"

Naoki shook his head, laughing. "No Shimi-Chan. That was the Captain. You stopped breathing and collapsed. You're very lucky he was there to bring you back."

Kanashimi unconsciously covered her chest and glanced at her Captain as he wiped his fingers clean and began sliding the tekken back on. "Kanashimi," he turned to face her, his gaze momentarily drawn to her partially bared chest. "Once you have dressed, please return to the training area. Bring what you need to continue." With that he turned and left, shuttling the door behind him.

Byakuya has only gotten a couple feet away when he heard Naoki laugh. "Shimi-Chan! Your future husband is a lifesaver! He bared your beautiful body to bring life back to you!" At that point, Kanashimi screamed.

"HE DID WHAT?!"

 **Thank you guys for being so patient with me through this! I've been going through some difficult times and had to put this fic on the back burner for a while. I am so sorry for the wait, I want to create a set schedule for me to update more regularly. I am working on it and I thank you again for being so patient. Please leave a review telling me what you thought! Constructive criticism welcomed!**


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